Clutch mechanism for dumb-waiters and the like.



PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

A. SVENSON. CLUTCH MECHANISM FORDUMB WAITERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1906.

ZSHEBTS-SHBET 1.

' WITNESSES INVENTOH 0% f No. 852,469. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

' A. SVBNSON. OLUTCHMEGHANISM FOR DUMB WAITERS AND THE LIKE APPLICATIONFILED NOV IQ, 1906, v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES I INVENTOH A 7'TOR/VEI ALBIN SVENSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR DUMB-WAETERS AND THE LlKE- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

Application filed November 19, 1906. Serial No. 344,167.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBIN SvnNsoN, a subject of the King of Sweden,residing at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the countyand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Clutch Mechanism for Dumb-Waiters and the Like, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and the reference characters markedthereon.

This invention has relation to clutch mechanism for dumb waiters,especially such as are employed in houses and apartments for domesticuses, but the improve ments are applicable as well in connection withsimilar cars or carriers for other uses. Again, while the improvedapparatus is ordinarily; intended to be operated by hand, it might beotherwise operated if so preferred.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide or produce clutchmechanisms or appliances for operating dumb-waiters which are offew andsimple parts, easily located in place and which will automaticallyeffect the stopping of the car either in its descent or as- 1 centwithin its shaft whenever its move ments cease to be controlled by thehand rope, as for instance, when too much load is put upon it in excessof the counter-weight or when the counter-weight exceeds by too much theweight of the car and its load.

Subordinate objects are to provide simple and reliable means forreleasing the clutch after the car has been automatically arrested. byit and thereafter permit the car to move until again automaticallyarrested under similar conditions,-to make the clutch easily adjustableor regulable from the exterior,and to make the parts efficient anddurable.

To accomplish the foregoing objects and to secure other and furtheradvantages in the matters of construction, operation, application anduse, my improvements involve certain new and useful relativearrangements or combinations of parts, peculiarities of construction andprinciples of operation, as will be herein first fully described andthen pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a vertical view showing a section of a dumb-waiter shaft and anelevation of my improved ap pliance mounted therein, the car being atnearly the upper limit of its travel. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view ofthe frame for the operating appliances and the appliances mountedthereon as in Fig. 1, the wheel for the operating rope being omitted.Fig. 3 is a vertical section and elevation of the appliance shown inFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section and elevation on a plane through line 4l4 ofFig. 3 and looking in the direction of the contiguous arrow, a portionof the movable plate being broken away to expose a portion of theinterior of the drum. Fig. 5 is a section and elevation on a planethrough line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of thecontiguous arrow. Fig. 6 is a section and elevation on a plane through.line 66 of Fig. 5, showing the manner of mounting the connecting rodsand connecting the clutch plate with the grooved wheel which forms thefront Wall of the drum.

In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur,indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the dumb-waiter or elevator shaft, B is any approved car orcarrier mov-' able up and down within the shaft, C is a counter-weightor counterbalance for the car, and D is a rope or cable, of suitablelength, connected at one end with the counter-weight and at the otherwith the car, passing over a suitable pulley connected with the clutchmechanism and being suitably guided, as by guide pulleys, a and b, orotherwise as may be preferred.

E is the operating rope or cable, usually called the hand rope, by whichthe movements of the car in the shaft are effected. This rope passesover a suitable grooved wheel, represented at F, Fig. 1, which is keyedupon or otherwise connected with the shaft G on which the movable partsof the clutch mechanism are mounted.

The hand rope wheel and the clutch mechanism are sustained in theelevator shaft on any suitablesupports, as upon timbers represented at cand d, and the hand wheel is capable of being located and secured atdifferent points on the shaft G to adapt the improved device for use inconnection with different sizes of cars, the shaft G being made of anydesired length.

Other timbers or frame pieces, as e, e, are employed to sustain thestationary friction ring in the position to which it may be adjusted.

H is a grooved pulley or wheel over which the rope or cable D is passed,and extending from this wheel, either being formed integrally therewithor otherwise rigidly applied, is a hollow drum 1, the wheel and drumbeing loosely mounted on the shaft G to as to be capable of turningindependently thereof, a collar as f and a set screw as g, or otherequivalent mechanical means being employed to prevent the grooved wheeland drum at one part from sliding longitudinally on the shaft, theybeing prevented from sliding too far away from the collar by an interiorspider which is keyed or otherwise securely coupled with the shaft.

K is the spider keyed, as at h, upon the shaft and compelled to turntherewith, the

spider being located within the drum and.

having projecting arms, as 'i, i, on one side and other arms, as k, 7c,on the other side. W

The interior of the drum or the back of the wheel H is provided withlugs, as Z, Z, made rigid with respect to the wheel and intended to bestruck by the arms i, i, upon occasion to move the drum and the appliedwheel H, and therefore the car, accordingly as the hand rope wheel ismoved.

L is a friction ring located adjacent to the open end of the drum andprevented from revolving. This ring is supplied with projecting arms, asm, m, which are conveniently held upon the pieces e, e, by appliedboxes, as n, n, which may be easily removed and located at the desiredpoints. The ring is capable of a: slight adjustment in the sup ortingboxes, and on the arms m, m, are ugs, as 0, 0, for the purpose ofpreventing the friction ring from being carried out of its properworking position, the lugs 0, 0 extending at right angles to thestationary ring and embracing the clutch plate between them, as shown inFig. 2.

M is a clutch plate mounted so as to turn easily on the shaft G andlocated outside the friction ring L. This clutch plate is con nectedwith the grooved wheel H by rods N which are most conveniently made topass through openings provided for the purpose in the said wheel and inthe clutch plate.

On one extremity these tie rods are provided 7 with cross heads, as p,p, conveniently seated in recesses provided for them and effectuallypreventing withdrawal of the connecting rods in the direction of thestrains to which they are subjected while at the same time the rods arepermitted to move in the manner required. The opposite ends of the rodsare threaded and supplied with hemispherical nuts, as q, and suitablesecuring nuts, as 1", r, as indicated in Fig. 6.

Being thus constructed and arranged, when the hand wheel is turned, thespider will compel the simultaneous turning of the grooved wheel H inthe corresponding direction. When the hand rope is released, if the -carand its load and the counter-balance are rise and the other to descend,thereby turning the grooved wheel H, and as soon as this commences tomove, the connecting rods are inclined, thereby drawing the clutch plateand the drum against the stationary friction ring. By this means themovement of the car is instantly and automatlcally checked, the partsbeing securely'frictionally clutched, as will be apparent. To releasethe clutch it is only necessary to move the hand rope in the oppositedirection until the spider K is carried back far enough to move theclutch plate to a position wherein the strain on the connecting rodswill be relieved. This unolutching movement is accomplished by contactof the arms is, with the walls of slots 8 in the clutch plate throughwhich slots the arms is project.

The effective lengths of the connecting rods may be easily regulated byadjusting the parts (1 and 1' to compensate for any wear or to regulatethe power of the clutch to-correspond with the limit of weight which isintended to be carried by the car.

Being constructed and arranged for operation substantially in accordancewith the foregoing explanations, the improved device is of few andsimple parts, not liable to get out of order, and it will be found toadmirably answer all the purposes or objects of the inventionhereinbefore alluded to.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination withthe shaft, of a wheel and drum loosely mounted thereon, a spider locatedwithin the drum and keyed upon the shaft, said spider having arms ex--tending oppositely on each side and the wheel having lugs for contactingwith the adj acent arms of the spider, a movable clutch plate and astationary friction ring, the spider being arranged to move the drum andits connected wheel and the clutch plate, and rods extending through thefriction ring for connecting the clutch plate and the wheel,substantially as and for the purposes explained.

2. In a device of the'character herein set forth, the combination of thegrooved wheel having lugs thereon, a spider having arms extending onopposite sides thereof, a revoluble shaft, clutch plate, stationaryfriction ring and connecting rods passing through the plate, ring andwheel, the connecting rods being arranged to be inclined by independentmovement of the wheel, substantially as and for the purposes explained.

3. The combination as before set forth, of the grooved wheel having lugsthereon, the spider having arms extending on opposite sides thereof, theclutch plate, the stationary friction ring and the tie rods, said rodsbeing provided with cross heads and with threaded portions and adjustingnuts and the wheel being provided with recesses to receive the crossheads, substantially as and for the purposes explained.

4. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination withthe grooved wheel, the drum, the shaft and the spider keyed on theshaft, of the clutch plate slotted as shown, the spider being locatedwithin the drum, having arms extending on opposite sides thereof, oneset of said arms projecting through the slots in the clutch plate andthe wheel having lugs for contacting with the other arms on the spider,substantially as and for the purposes explained.

5. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination withthe drum and the clutch plate, of the stationary friction ring, saidring being located between the drum and the clutch plate and providedwith lugs eX tending at right angles to the ring and embracing theclutch plate between them for maintaining the ring in operativeposition, substantially as shown and for the purposes explained.

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBIN SVENSON.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWICK, J. M. HOWARD.

